The bill amends the General Laws in "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" by changing the definition of "extraordinary" costs for special education. It lowers the threshold for these costs from an amount above five times the core foundation amount to over three times the average statewide special education cost, and removes the previous threshold. The bill also requires data collection on costs exceeding two to four times the core-foundation amount. It provides direct state funding for educational programs such as career and technical education, pre-kindergarten, and transportation for certain students. A stabilization fund is established for specific areas, and a regionalization bonus is set for public school districts that regionalize, with the bonus decreasing over time and ending in the third fiscal year. Additional support is provided for English learners, with a ten percent factor applied to the per-pupil amount, and the bill ensures that categorical funds are used for their intended purposes, allowing for proration by the department if necessary.

Furthermore, the bill outlines requirements for the use of funds for English Learner (EL) students, mandating that they be used for innovative activities and not for what is already funded by the district, with proration of funds if they exceed the available amount. It also provides for state support covering half the cost of salaries and benefits for school resource officers at public middle and high schools, with the number of officers based on school enrollment. The funding for categorical programs will follow a transition plan. The bill is effective upon passage.

Statutes affected:
5322: 16-7.2-6